Sinn Féin yesterday confirmed that the party's TD for Kerry North, Martin Ferris, was stopped by gardaí and arrested on suspicion of drink-driving as he was driving through Ardfert to return to his home in the north Kerry village in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The Irish Timesunderstands that Mr Ferris was stopped on the Ardfert Road shortly after 1.30am yesterday morning and after an alcolyser test proved positive, he was arrested under the Road Traffic Act and brought to Tralee Garda station.
It is understood that Mr Ferris, who is asthmatic, was unable to give a sample for the intoxilyser, which gives an alcohol reading, and instead opted to give a urine sample, which will be forwarded to the State science laboratory for analysis to establish whether Mr Ferris was over the legal drink-driving limit.
A Sinn Féin spokeswoman yesterday confirmed that Mr Ferris had been stopped at a random breath-test checkpoint and that he had co-operated fully with the Garda Síochána. Mr Ferris does not believe that he was over the limit and is awaiting the results of the sample taken by gardaí, she added.
"Martin is very mindful of the issue of drink-driving, particularly given the high level of fatalities on our roads. He would be the first to be critical of anyone who would drive while over the limit. It is totally unacceptable and indefensible behaviour," she said.
